


Thy Brother's Keeper

by Theheroshield



Series: Final Fantasy IV: War of the Wyvern [1]
Category: Final Fantasy IV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-03-04
Packaged: 2018-01-12 03:11:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theheroshield/pseuds/Theheroshield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years have passed since Kain and Cecil last saw one another. Now a dream pulls the two together in a battle against a demon that sleeps on Mount. Ordeals. The two must conquer their love-hate paradox in order to survive...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They should have called him Abel.

Seriously. They might as well have; he couldn't be more Abel than the man himself. Martyr. Paragon of virtue. The one who exemplifies redemption by discovering the origins of his past and overcoming them. He who 'hoists the light and the dark' and 'the still land'. And who better to hoist it than the straight arrow, the shining star?

Cecil, he should have been called Abel.

I suppose there's no profit in bitterness. He can't sway the hand of fate—no more could I. Everyone's friend, that's him. Paladin of light. Oh, how I liked you more as a Dark Knight. On an equal playing field. Neither of us worthy of her.

Rosa. My dear sweet girl, I never should have told you. Now I've lost you both...things will never be the same with the three of us again.

Why did he have to come out of this so perfectly intact? Married to her, ruler of Baron, the hero of the Crystal War. It all seems so unfair somehow. Everyone approved of you as a Dark Knight while the king frowned upon my occupation as a Dragoon. And people quickly hailed you as a hero when you ascended to paladinhood. Damn you, Cecil, everything I want you have. Everything I want to be, you are.

But how can you damn an infallible man?

Ah, I saw the hurt you tried to hide. I knew you feared my presence on the team after the Tower of Zot. Why didn't you strike me as I struck you? Why don't you hate me as I hated you? How can anyone be so devoid of evil?

Abel. Maybe not such an appropriate name after all.

Abel didn't survive.

But you did.

And, forgive me, I hate you for that, Cecil.

...

They shouldn't have called him Kain.

Honestly. Who could have been so cruel? They might as well have marked his life's path with that mistake. The Traitor. The one who is 'born of a dragon' and 'rises high up'. And who better to rise up high than the infamous dragoon, the henchmen of Golbez?

Kain, he should have been called anything but that.

Nothing's to be done about it, I suppose. He can't sway the hand of fate—no more could I. The dark one, that's him. Can we not return to our childhood days when names remained insignificant and every slight passed without suspicion? On an equal playing field. Neither of us worthy of her.

Rosa. My beloved wife. Sometimes I think I never should have told you. Now I've lost you both...things will never be the same with the three of us again.

Why did he have to come out of this so bereft of everything? Unrequited love, sole survivor of the Dragoons, the traitor in the Crystal War. It seems unfair somehow. They didn't approve of your occupation though I admired you for sticking it out 'til the end. And people swiftly denounced you when Fabul was assaulted with you as their commander. Damn you, Kain, how can things end up so terrible for you when everything is right with me?

But how can you damn an already damned man?

Ah, I saw the hurt you tried to hide. I knew you felt shame in my presence on the team after the Tower of Zot. Why did you strike me, as I've never struck you? Why do you hate me, as I never hated you? How can anyone be so be devoid of humanity?

Kain. Maybe not such an inappropriate name in the end.

Kain betrayed his brother.

And you did.

And, forgive me, I hate you for that, Kain


	2. Brothers in Arms

_A spear, cracking._

_A dragon, flying._

_A temple, burning._

_A father, summoning._

_A man, dying._

So many thoughts. So many dreams. Or, rather, one. The same one. Again and again. Each night he shut his eyes the images closed as waters over his head. He drowned in them as surely as one might drown in the Baron Sea. A lesser man might have gone mad.

Cecil Harvey swept his platinum hair behind an ear. He'd had no peace since the dreams commenced haunting him. How many months now...He found he could not recall. It was the same story: the paladin tentatively fell asleep, the dreadful vision materialized, he'd scream, awaken Rosa and send their son into a fit of ungodly shrieking.

"I was thinking," Rosa spoke as she approached with their son in her arms. "That we might be better served by going to see the Elder at Mysidia. Perhaps he could find some explanation for your...dreams."

The white wizard knew better than to contest his concerns, now. They'd had that argument already. Truthfully, Rosa realized the futility of her efforts. Nothing would sway the paladin. In the dream, the Mountain of Ordeals sprang to his sight last night and he'd felt drawn to it. Not opting to wait, Cecil fired up Enterprise's engines and set off for the mountain.

Now they stood aboard her deck, waiting for the cliffs to loom over the horizon. Cecil grimaced. "No, the Mountain of Ordeals is what I saw in my...vision. The closer we come to the mountain the closer I feel to an answer. "

Baby Owen stirred so Rosa whispered softly to sooth him. As the paladin contemplated the wholeness of his world—his kingdom, his wife, his child, his happiness—silence reigned, cut only by the slash of the ship's propellers. He couldn't explain the feeling, though Rosa had often asked. It was like some potent emotion: fear, love, anger...

An unsatisfactory assessment. The paladin had struggled long and hard to define it, exploring the depths of his dream. Part of him longed to give up, for fear of what he might find. Was he like a moth to a flame, tantalized by the lights, aware that as he dear nearer he also came closer to his own destruction?

"Cecil!" Cid appeared on deck, the rising sun flashing on his helmet. A fatherly hand dropped on the paladin's shoulder. "I hope ye finds what yer looking for."

Cecil chuckled. "I'm not even sure _what_ I'm looking for."

"Well, whatever it is, we're here..."

And so they were. Mists partially concealed the towering spire of the mountain. She gleamed like quicksilver, her ledges like battlements of a fortress strong. Pillars of the purest marble stood tall upon her apex, as guardians to the white temple that shone as a thousand mirrors. To the left extended a decrepit bridge and beyond that, a long figure stood, gold hair fluttering and navy dragon-scale shimmering in the sun.

"Kain..." Cecil whispered.

Ever since a black-ribbon bound letter appeared at the palace gates—Kain's apology for failing to attend their wedding—the paladin feared he'd never see his childhood friend again. Did he wonder at suicide? Certainly not. Kain held too much pride to end his life so shamefully. But monsters still roamed the land, and in his quest to prove himself, some wayward beast might have felled the dragoon.

"Kain!" he called out, leaning over the railing.

The dragoon slammed the butt of his spear into the hard-packed snow. A rope trailed from the weapon's end, flailing in the wintry wind. "Cecil, Rosa, Cid. So good to see you again. It's been some time, hasn't it? Two, three years...?"

"Five and a half," Rosa held up little Owen. "This is our son, Owen. We named him after your grandfather."

Kain appeared touched by the gesture. "He would be honoured. Tell me, what brings you to my neck of the...mountains?"

_Straight to the point, like his spear,_ thought Cecil. He'd anticipated some resistance from the dragoon. Kain would probably resent the paladin stepping onto his turf, taking what little he had left. Still, the paladin found himself unable to turn back, unable to ignore the summons. And, if Cecil were honest with himself, unable to relinquish the friendship he'd had for almost twenty years.

"I've...hear of some...disturbance. In the best interests of the kingdom of Baron I'm going to...investigate...The trail leads here and I..."

Kain cut him off. "You've always been a miserable liar, Cecil. That's not why you've come. If it were so, you'd have sent guards or envoys or whatever they call them now. There's another reason. State it."

Never had the dragoon been one to dally with pleasantries. That made Cecil bristle. He'd long been accustomed to Kain's curt manner, but his cold tone angered the paladin. What...did the childhood memories mean nothing to him anymore? Did Cecil mean nothing? His blue-crystal eyes flashing, Baron's king climbed up the railing to ensure his voice carried. "We will talk, Kain. It's been too long. I don't understand your self-imposed exile. Don't you see—"

Failing to shed a single thought on the delicate balance he held, fury swept Cecil off his element—just as the wind swept him off his feet.

Like a sword, fear pierced Cecil's chest. He was falling so fast, thoughts tumbled in his mind. The thought of Rosa. Never seeing her sweet face. Their son. Never to see him grow up. Cid. Parom and Palom. Edge. Rydia. Kain...

And, suddenly, there was Kain. The dragoon wrapped an arm around his falling friend and the other launched his spear. Its steel tip struck the rockface of the mountain, imbedding in tight. The rope connected to it, and Kain, went taut, ceasing their descent and holding them aloft.

Cecil felt sick, his face pale as death. "Kain...Kain, I..."

"Later," the dragon said as he climbed the rope, Cecil in tow. "Hold on tight. I've not had to do this in some time. The rope'll hold, but the weather is unpredictable. I'd rather not die on these mountains."

Doing as bid, the paladin clutched Kain like his life depended on it—which, obviously, it did. Enterprise held her position. Wise, indeed, was Cid. Should they come near, the mere pressure of her approach might send both plunging to their deaths. Rosa and the engineer leaned on the railing, both worried.

"Need any help?" Cid called down.

"Just keep her steady!" Kain answered, his voice raw from the wind. "No sudden movements. I've done this about a hundred times but I'd would not like to fall the one hundredth and first time."

Though there could be no mirth to be found in that statement, Cecil laughed, more out of nerves than anything else.

Fortunately, they reached a ledge steady enough to support the duo. As he hit the ground, Cecil crumpled to his knees. Kain unhooked his belt, leaving the rope, and the spear attached to it, dangling in the air. The whole incident had lasted less than fifteen minutes yet the paladin could swear that hours had passed.

"Are you alright?" Kain hurried over as he noticed the ashen features of his friend. "Are you hurt?" Kain mothered him so much that Cecil felt compelled to wave him away.

"I'm fine. A little dizzy, that's all. It'll pass." Gazing up into his friend's shadowed face Cecil smiled weakly. "I'm impressed. When did you learn to do that?"

"Oh, what, that?" Kain sniffed disdainfully. "You spend a few months in the mountains and it'll come naturally." A frown creased his brow. "So...why did you _really_ come, Cecil?"

The king's mouth opened to answer then shut almost immediately. How to explain these bizarre dreams? Fortunately for him, the shadow of Enterprise engulfed them. She descended slowly, coming to a stop a few feet away. The two, paladin and dragoon, approached the edge, the former especially mindful of the drop.

"Rosa, please take Owen home. I'll be fine with Kain."

She looked most unhappy. "Very well. Be careful."

That made Kain guffaw. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"When should I bring the ship around?" Cid asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Cecil slid a sidelong glance at the dragoon. Kain didn't blink. "There's so much to discuss. Please ensure that the kingdom runs as usual. Don't let the dwarves...and don't forget to let King Edge know...the Council is to come..."

Kain loitered around the ledge, patiently waiting for Cecil to dispense with the royal business. Certainly no jealously there. The dragoon seemed bored by the proceedings. Sometimes, Cecil envied Kain for his freedom. Though the paladin owned much, his friend was exactly as his surname—Highwind. A wind that swept high in the sky, like the liberty of the birds.

Even after Enterprise soared into the clouds to vanish utterly, Cecil continued to avert his gaze, pretending to be interested in the shimmering lakes far below. That was more comfortable than facing the friend he'd not seen in over five years. At long last, his breath hitching, Baron's king half-turned to his brother-in-arms.

"Kain, I...I want—"

The rest of his words vanished as Kain embraced the paladin in a brotherly hug. Cecil's eyes widened, relieved. At first he'd feared that the dragoon would be infuriated at his intrusion. No doubt Kain still intended to send him packing, but at least the king had a minor window of opportunity in which to proceed with both the friendship revival and solving the mystery.

They broke apart. Kain muttered, "Let's get out of the wind." With a strong arm he guided Cecil around the treacherous territory. The two climbed the rocky incline without too much difficulty. As they ascended, Cecil's mind wandered. Memories swam to the surface for the paladin. The memory of his encounter with Milton, the second surprise assault, his meeting with his father, his anointment to paladinhood and the struggle against his dark half. Long had it been since those trials, yet the mountain's presence brought them into stark relief.

And, were that not enough, the premonitions intensified tenfold.

As they moved they spoke little, conversing only the necessities. Cecil longed to shatter that shroud, yet it encased the two in ice so thick only dragon's breath could melt it. Kain smiled, coldly, the king mused, as he gestured for Cecil to proceed onto the apex of the mountain. The wind slashed like Edge's shirekens but the paladin hid any indication of discomfort. Certainly Kain exhibited no such weakness.

"We can shelter in my hut for the night. I have some dried meat for—"

"Enough." Cecil lost all patience and pretence. "I've not come to talk about shelter, or dinner, or anything else as mundane as that."

Kain pushed up his visor. "How about Edge's failed romances? I've heard a tale or two that'll have even you laughing." Seeing the annoyance written across his friend's face, the dragoon sighed. "I know what you mean to say. Save it, Cecil. I have resolved on this course of action. My task here is not yet complete. I sense an evil spirit in the air..."

"Evil?" Cecil's hand slipped to his sword, Excalibur. The other reached to touch the shield strapped to his back. "That's not what _I_ sense. It's benevolent, wise, kind-hearted..." Even as the words left his lips, Cecil felt the hollowness of them. Why had he naturally assumed the vision to be of a boon omen? Because of his father's image? What of the blade's destruction, the dying man, the burning temple?

Kain smiled, bemused. "Ah, so you've had the same dream. _That's_ why you've come." He shook his head, rueful. "My apologies, Cecil. And here I'd thought you'd bring up that old nonsense about 'going home'."

"Well...there is that little matter we need to discuss..."

Suddenly, Kain's hand sprang up. Annoyed, determined to see his speech to the end, the paladin opened his mouth to continue but Kain's glare shut it. It took a full minute before Cecil realized the dragoon's gesture was not mere dismissal. His own ears began to pick up the sound, like distant thunder, coming nearer...

"What is that?" Cecil mouthed. Then realization struck him as lightning to a tree.

An avalanche!

The next series of actions he performed came systematically; as if a natural reflex. Cecil hurled his shield directly at his friend then threw himself to the far right. Hopefully, the shield's momentum would knock Kain out of harm's way. That didn't seem like a possibility. Certainly, the paladin himself wasn't spared.

The cascade of snow struck Cecil like a wave, blasting the air from his lungs. It tossed him easily a few dozen feet. Just as in the paladin's dream, the wave towered over him, engulfed and smothered him. Cecil struggled with the white blanket of death. At first, anyway. It became so easy to fall underneath the spell of sleep.

He closed his eyes.

He slept.


	3. My Father's Keeper

He awoke.

His chest hurt, damnably so. To draw breath was to suck in a small shield. Shield...He groaned, blinking rapidly to clear his gray vision. Something lay on him, probably what contributed to his discomfort. Cold. Steel. Small. Round. Like a shield...

In fact, it was.

Kain bolted upright. Or as best he could, considering that a mound of snow and ten pounds of metal lay sprawled on his chest. Working diligently, the dragoon freed himself, panting from the exertion. Then he stared, baffled, at the dragon-engraved shield gleaming in the sun. Why was _that_ on him? What had happened? Where was Cecil?

Cecil!

That mere thought sent a rivulet of shock through Kain's spine. Frantically, he hurled his fists into the hard-packed snow, clawing with his fingers. The moment before blacking out came sharply to him, as sharp as any spear he'd wielded. Cecil had tossed the shield at him, effectively throwing him in the clear—or near clear, anyway—and took the brunt of the blast himself.

"Oh, help me god, if you die Cecil..." the dragoon muttered, his face stinging in the wind. "I'll, I'll..."

What would he do? What would he tell Rosa? The possibility was simply too horrifying to consider. At Cecil's fall from the Enterprise, Kain acted instantly and, thus, had no time to contemplate failure. But, here, now, the more time passed, the higher chance of finding Cecil...dead.

"...Kain..."

Faint, yes. But still. The dragoon's keen ears deciphered the origin and tore into a nearby snow dune. The cold burned his navy eyes and his arms ached, but that couldn't stop him. For all he knew that single syllable was the last Cecil would ever utter in this lifetime. Not since childhood had Kain cried, but if he had to face Owen and Rosa after delivering the paladin's cold body to them...

Then, he felt it. The movement in the snow. Like a burial shroud, Cecil struggled in the snow. Kain dug faster until he feared his heart would burst. Having spent the better part of his self-exiled five years climbing the mountains, he'd often heard the grim tales of travelers perishing in avalanches. Still, Kain had never figured the paladin would be end up as one of those tales.

Cecil seemed momentarily spared that fate. One arm emerged from the snow, followed shortly by the other. Kain gleefully grabbed each with a hand and pulled. Like hauling a wall down, it was. Barely waiting to catch his breath, the dragoon tried again. If he could just manage to bring Cecil's face to the surface...

Then the hands went limp.

"No, Cecil! Damn you, don't die! Don't give up now!" His voice broke, horrified, as his hands ran through the paladin's cold, still fingers. "Damn you, Cecil, get up. Think of Rosa. Of Owen. Of me...Of how I'll never return to Baron unless you wake up. I swear I won't if—"

As if on cue, the hands came to life. Kain's heart leapt to life with them, and he renewed his efforts. Soon, he'd dragged the king's face through the snow, and with it, his entire body. It was like a frozen stalagmite as Kain hauled him a few feet away to assess the paladin's injuries. Cecil was barely coherent, his eyes glassy as he muttered something about his leg.

That's when the dragoon glanced down. And gasped. A gash of about fourteen inches long sprouted blood from Cecil's right leg. That's not what froze Kain's breath, however. It was the gleaming bone protruding at an odd angle from the wound. Kain had seen similar wounds on the battlefield. Few ever survived. The break, though undoubtedly excruciatingly painful, wouldn't kill. The blood loss might, though.

With all the gentleness afforded a warrior, Kain settled the paladin closer to an outcropping to shield him from the wind. Kain's hand shook, from the shock or cold, he knew naught which, as he ripped the paladin's pristine ivory cape and wrapped the torn cloth around his wound. Scarcely minutes later it was no longer white, rather the color of melted rose petals dripping onto snow.

Hardly sufficient to permanently stall the bleeding, yet for now that would have to do.

 _Damnation. What am I to do?_ He could stomach the thought of his own death—after all, what had he to lose, to leave behind? Nothing but a trail of betrayal and legacy of lies. But Cecil...the man of the world. His death would be a terrible blow to the Kingdom of Baron and a grave loss for Rosa and their son.

Their son. Cecil's and Rosa's. A twinge of envy coursed his veins. Oh, not of Cecil's 'getting the girl'. Kain had had time to reach closure about that. Though the dragoon would always feel irked at being passed over, he no longer felt the longing. No, in his veins was the kind of envy anyone has for someone so gifted, so blessed.

_Stop that right now, Kain Highwind. Cecil lay there, fighting for his life and what am I doing? Begrudging the man his fortune? Unbecoming one of the highly respected dragoons..._

Throwing Cecil's arm over his shoulder, Kain half-dragged, half-carried the paladin to the nearest shelter, that of the Temple of Klu-Ya. For the five years he'd spent exploring the terrain, the dragoon had never set foot inside of the stone-and-glass temple on the apex of the mountain. Not that he hadn't tried.

One day curiosity overcame him, and Kain approached the stone pillars. What had seemed like a doorway was actuality a frozen wall, invisible to the eye. He struck the glass in a rather comical display. But Kain had not laughed. Something about the aura alienated him. He'd felt unwanted, uninvited, an outsider.

But there he must go. Cecil needed shelter and Kain admitted to himself that he'd naught the strength to carry his friend to his hut at the base of the mountain. Each step he took nearer the temple set his nerves on fire, every alarm sounding in his head. Kain dismissed them. What choice had he when protection from the elements might mean the difference life and death for Cecil?

Oddly enough, this time, the wall did not repel him. Instead, he passed with ease. Cecil slumped and the dragoon heaved him up into his arms, carrying him fully. Fading in and out of consciousness, the paladin barely appeared knowledgeable of his surroundings. Though passing out would probably spare Cecil of what the dragoon could only imagine as insidious agony, Kain jostled the paladin for fear he'd never awake.

Kain winced as he heard his own footsteps, like the clash of steel over a gravesite. Never before had the dragoon bore witness to inside of the Temple of Klu-Ya. On their journey, Cecil had often spoke about his encounter with his father in the temple, his voice hushed, his eyes shining. For Cecil, the experience had brought him peace...something Kain couldn't claim for himself.

And how could he? Cecil learned of a father who'd been instrumental in Zemus' first downfall. In the second, Cecil himself led the assault on the Crystal Fortress, felling the creature his father had imprisoned years before. And what of Kain's legacy? A disgraced dragoon for a father, one who'd run out on his family shortly after Kain’s tenth birthday.

Cecil, the blessed; Kain, the cursed. The way of the world.

As he lowered the paladin to the floor, he whispered, "Let's not linger here." He spoke partly to keep Cecil conscious but also to chase away his dark thoughts. "I don't like this place. Something feels...not quite right." Frowning at his own vagueness, Kain distracted himself by cleaning Cecil's wound.

He tore off more of the paladin's cape, wiping the blood away from a cut on Cecil's forehead. Several strands of silver-gold hair stuck to the injury, annoying the dragoon. Then he chuckled at the odd color. "Cecil, Cecil, Cecil. You still wear that awful drag. Whatever will I do with you?"

As he hoped, the paladin muttered some response. Kain couldn't for the life of him decipher what was said, but the mere answer indicated Cecil's wakefulness. Kain grimaced as he stared at the bone, realizing what must be done. The bone needed to be set right before the dragoon could probably dress the wound. Kain had done so before, had set three legs and an arm in various battles in fact, but those people had been in far superior health than Cecil.

"If anything will keep you awake this will..." Hesitating certainly wouldn't aid the situation, so Kain leapt into the task full force. With one hand he hauled the glove off his other hand and shoved it between the paladin's teeth. "Bite down on this when it hurts." Then he quickly grabbed the white bone and tried to adjust it to its originating position.

As drops of red wine, blood splattered several tiles and Kain's gloved and ungloved hands. Cecil's eyes flew open, disturbing the dragoon. Remarkably, Baron's king remained calm, his breath coming in short gasps. A messy task, and certainly not one of Kain's favorites. At the last instant his hand slipped, and the bone adjusted improperly. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the paladin was too out of it to care.

"Damn it, man. I'm almost done. Hang in there." Realigning the white bone into its correct position, Kain wrapped the cloth back on the leg. He was glad to be finished with the grisly business. Shaking his hands clean (or somewhat, anyway) then the dragoon hoisted Cecil's head on a pillow made of the paladin's own torn cape.

"My gratitude, for saving his life."

Kain's jaw unhinged as his body jerked halfway. "What...Who?"

"I said thank you. Thank you for patching up his leg and returning him to me."

"Who...are...you?" Then Kain glanced at the far wall, its ceiling to floor mirror shimmering like polished silver.

The voice belonged to a man trapped behind the glass. Like those white knights in fairy tales, he was tall, magnificent and regal. As he gazed upon Kain, his bright white hair gleamed in the reflected light of his plate mail armour. His resemblance to Cecil was singularly striking—one might have placed a mirror before the paladin and the reflection would have been this man. "Klu...Lo?" Kain's tongue stumbled with the complex syntax of the lunarian language.

As a torch flaring to life, the man's smile lit up the room. "Klu-Ya. It is wonderful to finally meet you, Kain Highwind. I've heard of the great yarns your adventures have spun." He extended his arms, imploring, like a mother begging for her babe. "Come, here, bring me my son."

The request seemed quite reasonable; the result immediately obvious. Yet, Kain's scalp tingled with alarm. Some innate dragoon sense warned him about Klu-Ya. Kain failed to understand why. The man longed to look upon his son again. Didn't that make perfect sense?

Too perfect, in fact...

As he gathered the limp body of the paladin in his arms, Kain ignored his discomfort. Or tried to, anyway. Each step made him cringe. To him, this was as much as delivering his friend to some fiend of the nether-world. He took another step. And another. One. Two. Three. Four. Five...all these five toward the exit.

"Where are you taking my son!?"

"Out of here," the dragoon called over a shoulder, for not even the man's distraught voice would halt him now. "He needs the sort of medical attention only a white wizard can give. Do not fear, I will return with him shortly." _If you consider never any time soon._

He continued talking, hoping to distract the man. "I know a good white wizard. She'll have him up and about in no time." The words crumpled as stone dust, but Kain barely cared. All he knew was that he must escape with Cecil before...

...the door shut.

For long moments, Kain hung his head. Breathing deeply, he lowered Cecil to the floor. Then, his face twisted in fury, the dragoon slammed his fists on the beautiful steel-and-glass doors. A fruitless task, for the doors had been created thousands of years ago and could not be forced by normal mortal means.

"Come back here, Kain. Bring Cecil. I'll not hurt either of you. Just trust me." The tone was soft, sibilant and Kain flinched at the sound.

"No."

"Come here or else..."

The dragoon's head snapped up, blue eyes flashing. "Or else what? You can't do much trapped behind the glass like that..."

In the midst of the argument, Cecil stirred. "Kain, who...who are...you talking to?" He climbed to a sitting position, wincing from the pain. As his eyes fully adjusted, they traveled from the shadowed visage of Kain to the irked face of Klu-Ya. He gasped, struggling to reach his feet. The dragoon read the eager expression on his face, the tinge of hope in his voice...

"Father..."

"No, Cecil, don't!"

He might as well been shouting at a wall. Certainly Cecil heard no more than one. Blood oozing from his reopened wound, the paladin staggered toward his father. Klu-Ya's voice rose in joyous victory—each step his son made, that voice intensified. Kain hurried over to block his friend's path.

"Move, Kain," Cecil muttered through gritted teeth. When the dragoon refused to do so, Cecil shoved him hard. Kain had not anticipated the action and stumbled backwards. Hardly enough to truly hurt the dragoon, considering the plate mail armour he bore and Cecil's frail condition, still it was enough to set off his balance and give the paladin space.

"Yes, my son, come. I've been waiting. Sorrow fills me..."

"Again? Why? I don't understand..." He stood inches from the glass, his image semi-imposed on his father's. "Whatever evil in my soul do I have left to atone for?"

He lifted a hand to the face.

Five fingers touched the surface.

The surface rippled erratically.

"Sorrow—at what I must do to you!"

A demon hand burst through the glass, seizing Cecil's wrist. The paladin instantly screamed, the sort of sound that, had the glass been composed of less durable material, would have shattered the walls, ceiling, and floor. Cecil's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he slumped to his knees.

"Stay back!"

Kain froze. The voice that emanated from the mirror was no longer benevolent, nor human. Its grating sound reminded the dragoon of rusted steel against bricks. Its blood-red eyes feasted upon Cecil's pained face. Something about that grin unsettled Kain. Something he'd seen ages ago...

"Kain, take not one step nearer or your friend dies. I never approved of your friendship with him, anyway. I always knew he'd be the ruin of you. Look at you, this man's lapdog..."

Time broke. Past and present merged. Though his feet remained on the solid mirror floor, the image disappeared in his mind. There he saw a tall, blond, hard-face man towering over him. A man that had never approved him. A man that had broken his spirit years ago. And there he stood again, lording over him as a simple child...

"Father, it's been a while..."


	4. (Mis)trust

Darkness.

_Son. Listen to me._

_Father...? Yes, I'm listening._

_You must kill that man._

Cecil's vision shifted, colors and shapes bursting to life in a wonderful display of artistic disarray. The sight was unstable, as if he viewed through water. In the distance crouched a wary young man in full battle gear, hoisting a silver spear. Something about the square-jawed face and blue eyes gave Cecil pause. He knew that man...

_Yes. It's Kain._

_You want me to kill my own friend? How dare you ask such a thing—no father would!_

_What choice have you, Cecil? Look, see how he approaches, weapon in hand._

Indeed, Klu-Ya spoke truly, for the dragoon crept ever nearer, the spear's tip levelled with Cecil's heart.

_He seeks to steal your wife, child, and throne. He hungers for your life. Even now he draws close, intent on slaying you and taking it all for himself!_

Certainly that all made sense. Kain had always desired everything the paladin had. Didn't the dragoon proclaim his love of Rosa, Cecil's beloved? Had he not, on the seldom occasions of sentimentality, longed for a child? Kain, the King. Kain, husband of Rosa. Kain, father of Owen. It all made sense...

Then, pain. All-encompassing. It swept his body like a fever, almost rendering him unconscious. He struggled to rise above the agony that seemed determined to drown the paladin. Something about Klu-Ya's words rang false, and if he could just be free of the pain Cecil knew he'd be able to put the pieces together.

At last, the pain receded. Strangely, Cecil's vision failed to clear, though his other senses became fully functional again. Kain continued his deadly march, now just a few feet away. Voices floated over Cecil's head, like wisps of smoke. The paladin tried to pin them down, make sense of the madness, and quell the fear fuelling his heart to pound.

"Yes, that's right Kain. Come! Come! He took your life from you! Take his and restore your own!"

Kain's voice was as a bell tolling. "Hold still! This won't take long, Father!"

...Father!

_Are you my father or his!? Or are you even either?_

No answer...

Cecil couldn't move, else he'd have gestured to the dragoon to halt. He parted his lips to speak, yet no sound came out. What was the matter? Was he under some sort of spell—both mute and paralysation? Then the paladin's eyes trailed to the floor.

A solid, transparent wall encased him.

Trapped.

And the spear came nearer.

_It's a shame you didn't listen, Cecil. You would have had a chance to defend yourself. Now you will die before you can even raise your sword._

_You...Damn you! You planned this, to turn us against one another!?_

_Yes and claim the body of the victor. Sad, it is, that I can't even witness what would likely have been a marvellous battle. Two trained, skilled warriors. A pity, that...Wait. I give you one last chance, Cecil. Fall back under my spell. Fight him. Perhaps you'll win. Perhaps you'll live. Think of your family...what choice have you?_

Cecil swallowed, thoughts of Rosa and Owen floating in his head. Then he banished them, and the fear strangling him. _No. I would rather die than take up arms against my friend._

Disappointment. _So be it._

"Kain, what are you waiting for?!"

As he glanced up, Cecil's eyes widened, hopeful. Kain no longer approached, holding his head tilted, as if studying the paladin. The dragoon lifted his visor and his navy-blue eyes peeked out, baffled. It was as if Kain was trying to identify him. Then a smile spread across his lips, one that made Cecil's blood run cold. "I just thought I should get one good look into his eyes before—This!"

With a single mighty heave and the dragoon slammed his spear in. Glass shattered. Pain shrieked in Cecil's blood as he, too, screamed. Its glorious, maddening symphony was a chorus of angels in fury at the betrayal. But long had the paladin been the victim of such a sin.

_Kain—the Traitor. Always was. Always will be. Strike now!_

_No! You are no father of mine! I will…not strike my...friend..._

The eager hands of darkness rushed in.

Then, light banished the hands, pulling him to the surface. Pain assailed his body like a thousand marching soldiers, determined to strike him down. He heard a scream—likely his own—then the gray receded, letting him float upwards to the light.

"Cecil, thank the gods you survived!"

The paladin's eyes fluttered open and took in the image of Kain hovering over him, his dark shape blotting out the excruciating light. Curious, that. Under the darkness Cecil had cherished the light but, now, the dragoon's shadow was a blessing. Or was it...? His very presence brought the memory of the attack into stark reality.

Scrambling backwards on his hands and knees, Cecil tried his best to elude the dragoon's grasp. Not a terribly difficult task, considering Kain's surprise caused him to recoil. Cecil wanted to trust his friend so very much but the evidence of his betrayal, if that were it was, lay shining with the paladin's blood in the form of broken glass.

This was Kain he was talking about after all.

Perhaps thinking the king was disoriented, Kain stretched his hands out again. And again Cecil resisted, his icy stare piercing the dragoon like his own spear. The dragoon stared, confused, as if trying to determine how hard he'd _really_ bumped his head. In the background, the noise of some horrendous transformation caused both dragoon and paladin to jerk sideways to witness exactly that—a transformation.

The man, be he Kain's or Cecil's father or neither, morphed into a dragon-like creature. Reminiscent of the Wyren the two had encountered in the Crystal Fortress, it was fifteen feet in height and twenty in length. Like the blood ebbing from Cecil's wound, it gleamed a bright red with the exception of its eyes that were as ebony stones.

"I don't much like the looks of this, Cecil...Cecil?"

His heart racing, the paladin slid upwards to his feet, back braced against the wall. In his hands he held Excalibur poised to strike into the dragoon's heart. Kain gasped, likely thinking his friend mad. That didn't matter to Cecil. The dragoon's allegiance had been cast in serious doubt. By the looks on Kain's face, that had finally occurred to him.

"Cecil, no! I'm your friend!"

"Friend's don't try to kill each other..."

"Damn it, Cecil, you know better than that! I would never betray you..." Kain choked, seeming to realize what his attack on the mirror might be perceived as. "You'll never trust me again, will you? Not truly. No matter the time, the loyalty...the slightest shadow of ill intent will send you scurrying into a prison of mistrust."

Two paths unfolded before the paladin. One, to trust the dragoon; the other, to fight the dragon alone. He didn't know if allying himself with Kain would lead to his death—but he did know that not doing so would.

The blade lowered.

Kain extended his hand again. Blood dripped down onto the clean white marble. Cecil's blood. The sight made the paladin wince but he retained an outward appearance of calm. This was the choice he'd made. Hopefully that would be the last of his blood on the dragoon's hands. Jaw set, Cecil grasped it tightly for a mere moment then released.

Resorting to the old pattern they'd employed since their first battle together, Cecil fell in line with Kain. One blue-crystal eye never left his 'friend', though. "I'm fairly certain we'll both die now. If so, I want you to know something..."

"Yes?"

"I really do like my 'drag'. One of these days I'll dye yours the same color."

Kain laughed. "I'd better be dead for that."

A roar of epic portions stopped their voices cold. Like a wave, the shadow smothered both dragoon and paladin, inciting an instantaneous dread in both. "You disappoint me, both of you," the dragon snarled, tendrils of smoke rising from its nostrils. "The fight would have been glorious! And I would have been left to claim the victor...Now I slay you both, here, now!" With that, the dragon belched a cone of searing flames.

Cecil and Kain threw themselves to the far walls in opposite directions. Stumbling against the cold surface, the paladin forced himself to take breath. What was the matter with him? Surely the wounds did not cause such a loss of strength. What then? His gaze flickered over to the dragon and the dragoon. With an amazing tenacity Kain held his own, darting in to slash the beast on its wing.

In the instant the injury was inflicted, Cecil experienced a loss of energy. It vanished in such a torrent that the paladin, for a moment, feared he'd faint. Such an option was not viable, considering the presence of the dragon. The dragon...The dragon! Cecil glanced up sharply, his eyes taking in the glow that fled him to envelop the beast.

_So...am I power outlet for this creature...losing my life-force to restore his own?_

Panting from exertion after having staved off a deadly blow, Kain sprang over to his friend. "You look sick..." The sentence cut off as both paladin and dragoon leapt past a flailing tail. With a cough, Kain continued, "Are you strong enough to fight?"

Cecil chuckled, though even that minor moment hurt. "Well enough..." A twinkle in his eye, he added, "Our old routine?"

"Just like old times?"

As if one entity rather than two, the paladin and dragoon pivoted to face the beast, sword and spear in hand. Kain gave him a quick nod and Cecil quickly reciprocated. Then the two charged into the fray, shouting the names of loved ones as an epitaph to their attack. As they surged forward the beast opened its maw, teeth like the stalagmites of a cavern. From it poured forth a gush of flames.

Indeed, like old times.


	5. Trials by Blood

Kain was not afraid of death. What is such a thing to one who'd braved the reaper's scythe a dozen times before? Thus, as the flames burst from the dragon's mouth like a cone of crimson death his mind cooled as a fast-freezing river leaving only determination behind. A determination to keep his promise to Rosa—protect Cecil.

Though he fully intended to do that, the dragoon was not the one doing the protecting. Sheer seconds before the flames struck, Cecil threw out his cape as a textile wall over them both. The material, though of fine material and quality (despite a few recent rips), could not possibly withstand such an assault. Yet it did. Upon contact the fires dissipated, leaving the two relatively unharmed.

Kain couldn't keep the grin off his face as the paladin lowered his 'shield'. "Damn, Cecil! You got to teach me that sometime!"

Coughing, Cecil favoured the expression with one of his own, if a shade less enthused. "Right after you teach me how to catch falling fools."

A comment dangled in the dragoon's head but he crushed it at the sight of the dragon's sweeping paw. Exerting his body weight, Kain bowled the paladin over, sparing them both from being skewered. Frustrated at his failure, the dragon screamed. The sheer volume forced Kain to slam his fists against his ears. Several tiles shattered. That disturbed Kain who figured the structural integrity of the building would not allow such a thing.

It would be too fine an irony to defeat the dragon only to die beneath mounds of stone.

Not something he liked to dwell on.

"Left-right, dragon style?" Cecil called to be heard over the cacophony. Kain frowned, though not because of the words. It was a long-standing understanding between them, these battle-oriented routines. Why the dragoon suspected they could execute it half-blind. No, it was the tremor in the paladin's voice that told him something was terribly amiss.

Unfortunately, Kain could devote no time to shedding light on that as the paladin started the routine, rushing toward the dragon's haunches, Excalibur unsheathed. Kain hurried to stay in step. In parallel lines the two flanked the creature, halting just past his mid-quarters. Whipping his blade in a blinding arc, Cecil slashed its hindquarters. The dragon reared, then sent out its left leg. Kain added to the fray with a quick dart in and a swift blow to its side. Naturally, the creature aborted its attack on the paladin turning his concentration on its newest threat.

The narrow space disadvantaged the dragon by blinding it to the attacks of its opponents. It sought to even the odds by thrashing with its tail at the two. Kain dodged easily, his grace preternatural even for a dragoon, his gaze shifting to the paladin. Cecil rolled forward, evading the attack by a mere hair's span. The frown returned to the dragoon's face. What, in the Red Wings, was the matter with Cecil?

Predictably, the dragon roared. Flames sprang from his mouth to no avail. The two were simply not within range. For a few rounds, the routine continued. Kain snapped his fingers, signalling the paladin to swap sides. Gasping, Cecil waved back. Again, Kain performed the stab-roll combo and waited for the paladin to follow suit. Then his navy eyes widened beneath his visor as Cecil ruined his normally impeccable series of slices and stumbled to a knee.

"Cecil!" Kain abandoned the routine and tried to slip under the dragon. A tail struck him, sending him several feet back. The pain sang in his head, nearly lulling him into unawareness. He shook his head, knowing that to lose consciousness was tantamount to death. Death of him, death of Cecil. He must reach Cecil before...

...the paw fell.

_ Crack! _

"Oh, damn! No—what?"

Out of the dust Cecil stood, mostly intact, especially considering what should have been a messy demise. Then the dragoon's navy eyes lowered to where the dragon had stomped. There lay a shattered shield. Cecil's shattered shield. That explained the cracking sound. But not, still, the draining of color from the paladin's face.

Be it lady fortune or a fool's mistake, Kain seized the opportunity to dish out some damage. He landed a stunning blow on the dragon's wing. A shriek sounded, and Kain unwittingly released his hold on the spear. Without thinking, the dragoon leapt forward to reclaim it. An error, that. The dragon swung the spear, still stuck in his wing, at Kain. The force drove the dragoon at the far wall.

The landing jolted all the nerves in his body, setting every cell to screaming. Again, Kain struggled remain awake for he could see the dragon inhaling deeply. Though the paladin's cape defended them before, he somehow suspected that the magical field was dependent on the wielder's energy. If Cecil's chalk-white face were any indication, the cape would not last another fiery onslaught.

Grimacing, Cecil appeared at his side, attempting to haul the dragoon to his feet. The effort failed. "You're badly wounded...I'll heal you...Hold still...and watch out for...the dragon..."

Kain spat out blood. "Save your strength. You'll need it."

Cecil's lips twisted as he gestured at the dragon with his chin. "Better to use it on you than him." Without another word, the paladin laid his unburdened hand on the dragoon. Instantly a rush of emerald energy flowed from Cecil's arm directly into the dragoon's body. Kain was quite accustomed to the paladin's restorative abilities but the erratic wave patterns confused him.

A shadow the size of a claw enveloped them.

Kain shouted, "Cecil, behind you!"

Jerking halfway, the paladin swung up with Excalibur. The blade impaled the dragon's claw, sending rivulets of blood down Cecil's face. Another shriek came from its lips as the dragon retreated, favouring its wounded paw. That gave the paladin enough time to complete his spell casting. They rose as one, eyeing the dragon warily. It seemed content to lick its wounds, though Kain figured that wouldn't last long.

"Dragon's flight?" Cecil asked, teeth clenched.

Before Kain could get a word in edgewise he watched a peculiar glow emanate from the paladin. Cecil gasped sharply, doubling over. The light that circled him shot straight at the dragon, appearing to be absorbed by it. To Kain's horror, the dragon straightened, healed, and resumed inhaling.

Like pieces of a mirror reassembled, the picture came in stark relief to Kain. "He's draining your life-force, isn't he?"

The paladin chuckled amidst a groan. "Oh, Kain, I never thought you were the motherly type."

"And you're not the kind that jokes around!" the dragoon snapped. "It's true, isn't?!"

A shadow passed over Cecil's face, of stubbornness. "Dragon's flight!" Cecil shouted as he genuflected. Then he stretched out his arms, crossing them at the elbows and braced them against his knee. Kain recognized the stance. It was another routine—Cecil the catapult; Kain the canon. The height reached by the manoeuvre consistently surpassed a regular dragoon jump.

Kain sighed, promising himself he would return to the matter of Cecil's life-drain. Perhaps if he could quickly eliminate their adversary, the weakening would halt. In a decisive leap, he 'boarded' and gave a grunt, indicating for the paladin to toss him. Within a heartbeat Kain soared in the air.

Once reaching the apex, Kain stabbed at the dragon, aiming for the brain. He missed, jabbing its left eye instead. A scream of pain and rage came from the beast and it swatted at the dragoon. The pressure from the wave disoriented the dragoon, disarranging his jump down. Five talons closed in around the dragoon, quenching his sight and halting his descent.

For several tense seconds, the dragoon couldn't draw breath _. Is this how Cecil felt as the walls of Castle Baron threatened to smother him? This is not how I would like to die...But, then, how would I like to die?...I do not fear death...do I?_

The sudden retracting of the claws quashed the rampaging thoughts, and Kain continued his free-fall to the mirror-tiles. With his dragoon agility Kain should have been able to right himself. Yet the claws had robbed his concentration and the dragoon plunged straight down. The irony of the situation amused Kain.

A dragoon falling to his death. What a novel idea. He'd have preferred to perish by crushing.

Fortunately Kain was spared that momentary humiliation (and subsequent demise) as he landed directly into Cecil's arms. The paladin staggered beneath the weight. Immediately, Kain sprang off and reclaimed his spear. With fluid grace he lifted the spear over his head to guard the ailing paladin against another swinging paw.

"Many thanks, Cecil!"

Cecil was starting to appear as a wraith but he pulled together for a brief smile. "Pleased to help...You are the damned ugliest damsel in distress I've rescued, though..."

Kain laughed. "Hey! I'm not the one donning the drag, remember?"

As his mouth opened to reply, so did the paladin's eyes open. Wide. "Run!" he shouted and immediately bee-lined for the nearest pillar. Feeling the heat, Kain did likewise. The Temple of Klu-Ya contained two support pillars to suspend the myriad of mirrors that made up the ceiling. They were composed of a sturdy marble. Fortunate, that.

A wave of flames gushed past, right between the two pillars. After the coast clear was clear, Kain nodded at the paladin. Cecil reciprocated. Together they abandoned the pillars and rushed straight at the dragon. They hacked and slashed in a chaotic manner that seemed entirely without method, though a trained eye could appreciate the confusion tactics. It wasn't long before the dragon sustained several serious injuries to the head, shoulders and legs.

"She's almost down!" Kain shouted with glee. That glee turned to horror, though, as he witnessed the life drain from his friend yet again. As before, energy in the form of pure light fled the paladin's body to be absorbed by their adversary. Soon the dragon was back on its feet, more invigorated than ever.

It was a hopeless endeavour Kain realized, as his scratched his chin. Whenever they stood a chance at destroying the dragon, it would suck life from Cecil. Each time they returned to square one—or worse. Kain had never understood magic, nor liked it. But right about now he wished he had attended that course of arcane all those years ago back in training.

"Damn it, Cecil. What do we do? Man, I wish Rydia was here...After all, a few shots of Meteo would take this guy down before you can say Mysidia..."

"...I know what I must do...the price of my pride...the cost for his destruction..."

The instant Kain glanced at his friend's resigned face, a jolt shot up his body. The look was all that required for the dragoon to know what Cecil's words entailed. He spun on a heel to curb the paladin's deadly course of action. The dragoon could no more halt this than the moment when Cecil sought to reach his 'father'.

It all happened in slow motion...Cecil lifting the Excalibur...gripping it tightly...plunging it directly into his chest...then, he drew it out...the blade dropped from his bloody fingers...a harsh clang...his body slumping face first...his white cape wafted over his head like a funeral shroud...

"Cecil!" Kain dropped to a knee to cradle the paladin. "Damn you, Cecil! What the hell were you thinking? We could have found another way..."

Like his voice rose from beneath dark waters, Cecil whispered, "I did what I had to do...I trusted you, Kain, and I still do now...Please..." His hand crawled over to Excalibur, shining red with his blood. "...Take her...and defeat him..."

Ah, a clean shot...the dragon was inhaling one final time...to send them to the moon...

Kain lifted the Excalibur...

_ What makes you think you can do it right this time? _

Kain's arm froze in mid-air...

_ You never were good enough. Not for your mother. She died giving birth to you. Not enough for me. I left you as a child. Not for Rosa. She spurned you for your best friend. What makes you think you're worthy of accomplishing anything? You'll fail, Kain...Remember the dream... _

_ A spear, cracking. _

His spear lay in pieces.

_ A dragon, flying. _

The dragon beat its wings.

_ A temple, burning. _

Flames climbed the walls.

_ A father, summoning. _

His father's image flashed.

_ A man, dying. _

Cecil's blood steamed the tiles.

_ I remember the dream, _ Kain spoke silently. _I also remember the end._ With that, he hurled the blade directly at the space between the dragon's eyes. Like a bolt of lightning flung from a god's hand the weapon flew true. It severed the delicate cords in the dragon's brain and blood splattered onto the temple floor.

"No!" the dragon screeched. Flailing with his appendages, legs and tail, he proceeded to bash the walls of the temple. Again the walls held, though barely. Kain wondered how long that would last. "I cannot be defeated. What of your promises? What of our great victory? How could I be destroyed by mere mortals?"

The dragon's spiel was beyond Kain's reckoning. Beyond his caring, too. All he cared for now was to be free of this evil place and to restore Cecil. He lifted the paladin's lifeless body and heaved him over his shoulder. Then, with a last burst of energy born of desperation, Kain rushed toward the door. Fear slivered down his spine—this same very door could not be brought down by any means he possessed. _Perhaps this shall be our grave..._

The fear was unfounded. With a simple shove, the door opened. Behind him, Kain could hear the sounds of destruction: the walls rent apart, the ceiling fell to pieces, the very flooring burst into fragments. Despite his waning strength, the dragoon pushed himself to the limit, determined to make some distance should his other fear prove warranted.

A boom, loud enough to fell the Monster of Babil, sent shockwaves across the icy air of Mountain of Ordeals. Kain quickly realized that his prudence in moving as far away as possible probably saved both their lives. He stared, transfixed, at the ruins of a once beautiful and pristine Temple of Klu-Ya. A single column of smoke wafted into the clouds.

"Kain...If I live, you swear on your honour...You will return to Baron with me..."

The dragoon dropped to a knee beside his friend. Cecil's face was ghastly now, as if the paladin had already perished and just needed to cede the fact. Working as fast as his tremulous hands could manage, Kain wrapped up the king's wound. "I swear, Cecil." The dragoon clenched a fist and pounded his left breast. "Now you _must_ survive. I don't give my word lightly."

"Kain...I see it..." A tiny smile spread across the paladin's lips.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, the dragoon hoarsely said, "What? The light? The gates?" Having been witness to a number of deaths, Kain remembered how they'd claim to see bright lights and shining arches. And, then, they would fade away.

"...The ship..."

"What?" Kain glanced upwards into the dawning skies. Cecil spoke truly. Parting the morning mist, the Enterprise floated towards them. In fact, she was almost in perfect view. And had been, for the past few minutes. Laughing ruefully, Kain mock-glared at Cecil. "You knew she was there, didn't you?"

Cecil's answer was laughter as the ship came to bring them home.


End file.
